Edwards Drops Out

[NuclearShadows]

DENVER — Democrat John Edwards is exiting the presidential race Wednesday, ending a scrappy underdog bid in which he steered his rivals toward progressive ideals while grappling with family hardship that roused voter’s sympathies but never diverted his campaign, The Associated Press has learned.

The two-time White House candidate notified a close circle of senior advisers that he planned to make the announcement at a 1 p.m. EST event in New Orleans that had been billed as a speech on poverty, according to two of his advisers. The decision came after Edwards lost the four states to hold nominating contests so far to rivals who stole the spotlight from the beginning — Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama.

The former North Carolina senator will not immediately endorse either candidate in what is now a two-person race for the Democratic nomination, said one adviser, who spoke on a condition of anonymity in advance of the announcement.

Edwards waged a spirited top-tier campaign against the two better-funded rivals, even as he dealt with the stunning blow of his wife’s recurring cancer diagnosis. In a dramatic news conference last March, the couple announced that the breast cancer that she thought Their decision sparked a debate about family duty and public service. But Elizabeth Edwards remained a forceful advocate for her husband, and she was often surrounded at campaign events by well-wishers and emotional survivors cheering her on.

Edwards planned to announce his campaign was ending with his wife and three children at his side. Then he planned to work with Habitat for Humanity at the volunteer-fueled rebuilding project Musicians’ Village, the adviser said. (http://youdecide08.foxnews.com/2008/01/30/edwards-to-drop-out-of-white-house-race/)

[JIMV]

So where does his 10% go? If they dislike the Hag as much as Edwards does, I suspect Obama.

[Bruce McAuley]

This means I have to become a Republican for the Primary and give my vote to Ron Paul, not that I seriously expect him to win the nomination, of course.
For the General Election I will vote for the Democratic nominee, I guess.
The money wins again.:rolleyes:

Bruce

[Knowle of 4U]

Yeah, I can't understand it, bruce. Seems everyone complains about our "bought and paid for" politicians but then continue to ignore those politicians that make a point of not being available for those kinds of questionable donations.

Too wierd! Too bad. This just sucks. I'm staying open to the idea that the unity party might actually manage to make a big splash when they pick their ticket. Perhaps Edwards will be considered there.

[lenny]

I hope he publicly endorses Obama...sooner rather than later...

[Old Round Guy]

Rudy dropping out was no loss. If he got in and ran the White House the way he ran his campaign we'd really have been in deep doo. About the only thing he did worse was to endorse McCain.

He should have just kept his mouth shut and gone home.

It's really sad to see Edwards drop out, he'd have made a fine President.

[McGyver]

I too am very sad that John Edwards might be leaving the race. I think John would have made an excellent President.

Once again, it seems to me that the lower and middle class votes against it's own best interest time after time. Here is a man who's made his entire campaign about helping the "little guy," and getting Corporate Lobbyists out of our Government! Meanwhile the little guy votes for someone else. I just don't get it! :(



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[Old Round Guy]

Edwards would make a really excellent Attourney General though.

[McGyver]

Edwards would make a really excellent Attourney General though.

I sure hope that whoever gets elected....appoints him to "some" cabinet position, as I feel John Edwards is someone who DOES have the best interest of America and Americans at heart!

[Robbo]

I too am very sad that John Edwards might be leaving the race. I think John would have made an excellent President.

Once again, it seems to me that the lower and middle class votes against it's own best interest time after time. Here is a man who's made his entire campaign about helping the "little guy," and getting Corporate Lobbyists out of our Government! Meanwhile the little guy votes for someone else. I just don't get it! :(



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I suspect it has much to do with media coverage of Obama and Hilary. Hell even Bill Mahr is practically obsessing over those two. I could see my self voting for Edwards, but if he had gotten the nomination the Republican attack machine would have had a field day making up stuff to go after him with.

[Bruce McAuley]

The slurs will come thick and fast from whichever Bush-clone gets the nomination.
I think Edwards had the best chance of picking up disaffected Repub voters.
Money rules the media too.
Edwards railing against the big corporations was likely the death-knell of his effort.
Sad.:(

Bruce

[Bruce McAuley]

I lifted this from another site:
THE TIME HAS COME TO ADMIT WE ARE IN DEEP TROUBLE
And by doing so, ask what the appropriate response is to what is happening in our Nation right now.
I have been dancing around this idea throughout many thread responses. Others here with an astute eye have also seen the same things that I see.
What do we do as good citizens, if we learn that our votes and our freedoms, are merely phantoms, illusory beliefs, as we are really operating under a strictly controlled environment?
Look at our "choices":
McCain
Romney
Hillary
Obama
Barring yet some other unforseen event, the four above represent the "pool" of talent Americans will be asked to choose from for POTUS in nine months.
While there is certainly experience and talent in the Democratic choices, look at who couldn't make the cut on the Democratic side:
John Edwards
Joe Biden
Chris Dodd
Dennis Kucinich
Bill Richardson
See a pattern there? Besides all being immensely talented and offering policies and programs that speak to a REAL, not FIGURATIVE, "CHANGE", they have all been thoroughly silenced in this campaign.It is my opinion, that the the two candidates left standing, are the only two who assure the continuation of the status quo.
What status quo?
The CORPORATE domination of the United States.
We are in a stranglehold over our society, held by a cadre of Corporations, who will not permit their dissolution, or even a weakening of that hold.
Yes, our politics now proves what I have always said.
There is no viable reason I can discern, for John Edwards to have suddenly left the political arena. NONE! He has cash, support, delegates, and everything necessary to play deal-maker at a brokered convention.
Add to that Obama's soon to be REZKO affair being highlighted and there is truly, some strong questions that demand answer.
WHY EXACTLY IS JOHN EDWARDS LEAVING THIS RACE???? EVEN JRE DID NOT EXPLAIN IN HIS TERSE REMARKS, ANY REAL RATIONALE FOR THAT DECISION.
If we don't have any freedom of choice, but the ILLUSION OF CHOICE, what are we to do? You can be sure that all of Bush's rendition plans, the eavesdropping, have all been constructed as contingency plans for anyone that gets too interested in asking these questions.
Afraid yet? You should be. If John Edwards can be silenced, we all can be silenced. If we are silenced, it has been by people who don't hold elective office.
Do you just want to be mere uninformed cattle, believing they we have a part in our Government? Can you even see that this is happening right under our noses, without any outcry, while Corporations control all of the messages and ideas?
I, for one, would like some answers. But, we will never get them , if we all acquiesce and fail to insist on an answer.
Even if you support Hillary or Obama and are happy with these choices, you ought to be concerned when a viable candidate leaves the stage, as John did, AND NOT ONE TV COMMENTATOR, ANYWHERE, ASKED , "WHY"? WHY, is the most obvious question, yet it was never discussed, only accepted.
So, as an experiment, ask yourselves, "why"?
End of opinion piece.
Too good not to share, for those who haven't seen this elsewhere.:cool:

Bruce

[NuclearShadows]

I lifted this from another site:
THE TIME HAS COME TO ADMIT WE ARE IN DEEP TROUBLE
And by doing so, ask what the appropriate response is to what is happening in our Nation right now........Bruce

Maybe the libertarians are right.
Time to buy a few guns and prepare.

,,,,,turn on the tube but there's nothing new
the usual panic in red, white and blue
"military advisors" marching in the square
knife-sharp trouser creases slicing air
private armies on suburban lawns
shoulders braced against the tidal dawn
all's quiet on the inner city front
i don't know why i should but i feel content.... Bruce Cockburn
:rolleyes: